Censorship, political labelling and organised backlash have shadowed the profession for decades. The latest example came when one of the country's most prominent political satirists, Mehedi Haque, found himself at the centre of coordinated criticism for doing what political cartoonists are expected to do: draw satire in response to the national conscience.

Cartoons, as a form of artistic activism, speak the language of time. They highlight contemporary political events and societal absurdities, often at great personal risk to the artists. Despite the former AL-led government's attempts to instil fear during the anti-discrimination student movement, the people's resolve only grew stronger. Cartoonists were no exception, capturing the then government's atrocities—murders, repression, and abductions—in powerful images that spread like wildfire across social media. These cartoons became the movement's fuel, igniting further resistance.